Dusk
by slumberdollx
Summary: Nighttime is approaching, your freedom along with it. AU. ItaHina.


This is just a short prologue/teaser for an ItaHina story I had in mind.

**Disclaimer: **As you all are probably aware, I am not the owner of the masterpiece we call _Naruto_. Seriously guys.

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**Prologue**

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"I know her, Brother," said a voice deeply. A scrawny finger lightly scratched her clothed shoulder. Hinata stiffened and her breath hitched in alarm, but she remained completely frozen in place, for fear of provoking them. She could feel more eyes boring into her skull from above her. With slow and hesitant movements, Hinata turned her head and looked at her escape route. Striking eyes glowed eerily in the darkness, changing from blue to violet, green to yellow, and brown to silver.

Dread filled her, and she began to pivot in the opposite direction, hoping to make a speedy retreat back towards safety, when a creature moved in front of her. A choked sound escaped Hinata's lips. "She's the special one… favored in place of us… favored by the masters."

Hinata turned away from it, but the creature had already moved to her right.

"_Her_," one of the creatures hissed. An inimical hand gripped her shoulder with a surprising amount of strength, and Hinata cried out as she was abruptly shoved forwards. She stumbled and tripped to the left, palms instinctively braced before her. Pain throbbed in her left temple as her head collided against a thick tree rut protruding from the damp grass. Another sharp claw snatched her by the sleeve of her jacket, slipping beneath it in the process and scraping across her bare arm. Hinata shuddered and pulled away, but the grip was tight and solid.

_Breathe. Just breathe. Stay calm_, she silently willed herself. Her heart galloped widely in her chest. Fear and anticipation coursed through her, making her body tremble and shake beneath her despite the humid environment. At least a dozen of cat-like eyes stared down at her, watching on with sadistic amusement. Tall, disproportionate men and women, clad in what looked like a thin layer of leather armor, surrounded her. Their skin was a putrid shade of green and their wide mouths were pure black.

"Stop it," spoke one of the creatures, a girl, loudly. Hinata's eyes lifted to the source. The creature smiled at Hinata, baring her long, razor-sharp teeth. "You are scaring her, big brother."

Screeching laughter erupted around her. "Then what should we do with her?" spoke one of them in a throaty voice.

"Yes, yes," others murmured in agreement. "What should be done?"

"She could entertain us," another one whispered in Hinata's right ear, sending a jolt of panic crawling down her spine. It added, "Just for tonight." Malicious giggles and whispers met the suggestion. Hinata's mind scrambled for possible escape routes, screamed at her to get up. The only thing she could think to do was run. But if they caught her would they go as far as to physically injure her?

The sharp tip of a claw stroked Hinata's cheek, trailing down her clothed arm. A velvety voice sighed in agreement, "Oh, what a wonderful idea, Sister."

Another joined her by Hinata's side, reaching out to stroke her indigo locks and to gently caress her cheek, "She has such beautiful eyes, lovely hair, too. It smells like jasmine."

"And lovely, pretty flesh," another voice added.

"Yes, such a beautiful girl…" another sighed.

"I'm so parched," whined one of the creatures.

"I'm hungry, too, Brother. So famished. We haven't eaten in months…"

"I wonder, what do you think she'd taste like?"

Hinata swallowed back the growing bile in her throat miserably. She felt her blood chill to ice and drain from her face. Quietly and uneasily, she stuttered, "I-I'm s-sorry if I intruded… I d-didn't mean to. I'll be leaving now."

Another creature kneeled before her and gripped her chin harshly, forcing her gaze to meet a pair of blue eyes that contained more malice than any being should be allowed to possess. "_Leave_? Silly, silly girl. You haven't amused us yet."

Feeling panicked, Hinata cringed away, and nervously stammered out, "P-please let go!" She yanked her trembling arm away and pushed the creature back. She didn't even look up to see the creatures' faces contort, their features becoming even more awful and terrifying. She saw a window of opportunity and she grasped it. Hinata crawled onto her knees and dove through a small cluster of woman, darting towards the end of the street. Shocked and dismayed cries reverberated in her ears – the most horrible sound she would ever hear.

"How dare you," they shrieked in unison.

Without warning, Hinata was tugged back by the hood of her jacket. The creature gave her a solid punch in her jaw; then used his foot to kick her roughly in the stomach. Hinata whimpered at the stinging pain, and her head fell even lower, allowing her dark hair to form a curtain around her face. She choked back tears as she watched them slowly move closer and closer, and panted laboriously. Their claws extended towards her, ready to tear at her flesh and rip her throat right out of her neck, prepared to kill her – when the air was suddenly sent flying straight out of her lungs. Suddenly, a man appeared as if he had popped right out of the ground.

Grisly screams of bloodshed erupted around her. Hinata closed her eyes and covered her ears, but she could still hear the agonized cries reverberating deafeningly. Finally, when everything had quieted, her eyelids fluttered open. Reluctantly, Hinata looked up, her opal eyes glossy with trepidation. Her savior's back was turned to her, and all she could make out was the darkness of his long hair, secured in a ponytail at his neck, and the flowing black feathery wings attached to his upper back. Gold trimmed the top of the high red collar and the cuffs of the sleeves, and an insignia in the shape of a small fan adorned the left shoulder.

Hinata looked closer – was that a black bird embroidered onto the back of the robe, too? She began breathlessly, her stunned mind still trying to process what had happened, "Uh, thank you."

Goosebumps surfaced on her exposed skin. The stained blade in her savior's right hand glistened ominously in the pale glow of the crescent moon. Corpses of the hideous, grotesque creatures laid crippled and mutilated about her. Each was slain with a graceful effortlessness and swiftness that left her jaw dropping and her pulse pounding. The tension in the air was palpable, asphyxiating, and it unnerved Hinata to no end. Her opal eyes widened when the stranger spun on his heel, and for a moment her heart stopped and she felt the universe slip away from her into a blurry void – because he wasn't a stranger, Hinata came to realize. Their eyes met as they had done so many times before, and beautifully luminous crimson eyes burned into hers and held her prisoner.

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_This will be a scene included in the middle/ nearing the end of the story. Is anyone interested? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Nonetheless, thanks for reading. The first chapter will be up (I'm hoping) in September._


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